Protection Management Prepares Individuals for Secret Service Special Agent Careers

In this competitive strategic security job market, job-seekers need to go above and beyond to secure specific, highly-demanding jobs. Individuals interested in a career in the protective agent arena, which includes U.S. Secret Service Special Agents, State Department protective agents, military units with protective agents, or even state run executive protection details, can benefit from coursework in protection management. This article focuses specifically upon how coursework in protection management could provide students with a competitive advantage when applying for any of these careers.

What is a Secret Service Special Agent?

U.S. Secret Service agent jobs are among the most competitive of all federal law enforcement agencies. The Secret Service is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and has over 150 field offices around the world. Established in 1865, the original mandate of the Secret Service was to combat counterfeiting – today, the U.S. Secret Service is responsible for criminal investigations as well as protecting the nation's leaders.

There is no such thing as a typical Secret Service agent job. Secret Service Special Agents, for example, are dually tasked with protection and investigative responsibilities throughout their career and may be assigned anywhere in the world. To become a Secret Service Special Agent, you must be at least 21 years of age and undergo a thorough background investigation, including a polygraph, to ensure that only the most honorable candidates are granted the privilege to serve and protect the national security interest of the United States. You must also possess a minimum of a Bachelor's degree.

What is protection management and what benefit does it serve interested students?

Programs in protection management increase student's knowledge of operations in the security industry and in providing protective services to clients, their property and/or their information. These programs often emphasize professionalism, proactive strategies, and the benefits of lifetime learning, safety and preparedness. They also unite proven successful management practices with proven methods for meeting a wide variety of security and protective services to individuals and businesses.

Protection management programs may enable students to have a competitive advantage when applying for protection careers for a number of reasons. Often former agents teach protection management and therefore, students benefit from the breadth of experience of these former agents. Protection management coursework also teaches students skills necessary to be successful in a protective capacity. Students learn how to conduct protective operations, develop plans for surveillance and other means of collecting intelligence, plan and conduct advances, and develop and implement procedures for clients facing threats – all skills vital for a career as a Secret Service Special Agent.

Working in the protection and security industry is both challenging and rewarding – agents are on the cutting-edge of providing a critical service that requires personal sacrifice, discipline, and the unique ability to foresee emerging risks before they become a reality. While one cannot be guaranteed a job as a Secret Service Special Agent upon completing coursework in protection management, this work will prepare students to be successful in the strategic security field. Such programs provide solid, real-world coursework for individuals interested in either career advancement or a complete career change.